248 EVOLUTION, OLD AND NEW. 



say, that after a certain number of unknown genera- 

 tions, some bird had given birth to a woodpecker, and 

 some plant to a misseltoe, and that these had, been 

 produced perfect as we now see them." * This is the 

 only allusion to the ' Vestiges ' which I have found in 

 the first edition of the ' Origin of Species.' 



Those who have read the 1853 edition of the ' Ves- 

 tiges ' will not be surprised to find the author rejoin- 

 ing, in his edition of 1860, that it was to be regretted 

 Mr. Darwin should have read the ' Vestiges ' " nearly as 

 much amiss as though, like its declared opponents, he 

 had an interest in misunderstanding it." And a little 

 lower he adds that Mr. Darwin's book in no essential 

 respect contradicts the ' Vestiges '; " on the contrary, 

 while adding to its explanations of nature, it expresses 

 substantially the same general ideas." t It is right to 

 say that the passage thus objected to is not to be found 

 in later editions of the ' Origin of Species,' while in the 

 historical sketch we now read as follows: "In my 

 opinion it (the ' Vestiges of Creation ') has done ex- 

 cellent service in this country by calling attention to 

 the subject, removing prejudice, and in thus preparing 

 the ground for the reception of analogous views." 



Mr. Darwin, the main part of whose work on the 

 ' Origin of Species ' is taken up with supporting the 

 theory of descent with modification (which frequently 

 in the recapitulation chapter of the ' Origin of Species ' 

 he seems to treat as synonymous with natural selec- 

 tion), has fallen into the common error of thinking 



* ' Origin of Species,' p. 3, 1859. 



t ' Vestiges of Creation,' ed. 18(50, Proofs, Illustrations, &c., p. Ixiv. 



